Week in Review: Alarm Bells and Struggles
Across the region, our selection of this week’s Balkan Insight Premium stories suggests that alarm bells are going off in many countries – and not only because of the wildfires. Original post Here
With Investment Favours, Albania’s Government Chips Away at Media Freedom
The owners of the biggest broadcasters in Albania have all benefitted from ‘strategic investor’ status granted by the government for other projects, raising doubts about editorial independence. Original post Here
Albania Battles Deadly Wildfires Amid Heatwave
TIRANA, Albania (Tirana Times) , August 13,2025— Fierce wildfires swept across Albania this week, killing one person, injuring at least 10 and forcing mass evacuations from southern towns to central mountain villages, as much of the Mediterranean battles deadly blazes fueled by extreme summer heat. Authorities said more than 10,000 …
News24 TV’s Shutdown in Albania Sends a Worrying Signal
The Albanian police’s action – forcing the country’s largest news broadcaster off air without a court order – sets an alarming precedent. Original post Here
Alarm in Albania at Proposed Criminal Code Changes; Govt Denies Involvement
Albania wants to align its Criminal Code with EU law, but critics, including media associations, say a proposed draft falls far short – and could limit press freedom. Original post Here
Media Unions Criticise Albanian Police Operation Targeting TV Station
Media organisations say Albanian police action, surrounding the News 24 TV station building and seizing journalists’ computers amid a property dispute with a government ministry, is ‘heavy-handed’ and lacks a clear legal basis. Original post Here
News 24 Raid and Blackout: Press Freedom or Property Dispute?
Tirana Times, 11 August, 2025 The forcible shutdown of Albania’s leading all-news television channel, News 24, and the blockade of the Focus Media Group headquarters by police and later military forces on August 9 has ignited national and international debate about press freedom, political retaliation, and the limits of state …
Monday Briefing from the Balkans: August 11, 2025
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
European Raids Hit Albanian Cartel, Millions Laundered in Resorts
Tirana Times,August 08,2025 — A massive Albanian-run cocaine trafficking syndicate, accused of moving 28 tons of the drug from Latin America to European ports and laundering its profits in luxury resorts and real estate in Albania, has been dismantled in a multinational operation. The breakthrough, announced Friday by Albania’s Special …
Anti-Mafia Law Is Only on Paper?
The dismantling of a 28-ton cocaine trafficking network, led by Albanian nationals and operating on a global scale, should have been a triumph for Albania’s justice system. Yet the uncomfortable truth is that this success was imported. It was European law enforcement — from Belgium to Italy — armed with …
TIRANA TIMES, December 6, 2025 – Albania is once again under water. Torrential rains over the past days have triggered massive flooding across almost the entire country, exposing not only the fragility of urban infrastructure but, more fundamentally, the long-term failure of governance. From the northern plains to the southern …
By Zef Preçi, Executive Director of ACER As Albania presents itself as closer than ever to the European Union, a troubling contradiction has emerged in its domestic legal and political debate. While the EU is moving decisively toward tougher and more harmonized criminal rules against corruption, Albania is simultaneously discussing …
Allegations of money laundering in construction and claims of informal power networks, including the case of Ergys Agasi, fuel concerns over a distorted housing market Tirana Times, TIRANA, 05 January 2026 – For many middle income families in Tirana, buying an apartment has shifted from a realistic life goal to …
Democracy and the rights of women are being undermined in Albania by the practice of filling electoral candidate lists with women, only to have them resign en masse once the results are in and cede their seats to men. Original post Here
Catch up on the weekend’s most important developments with Balkan Insight’s digest of news from countries across the region. Original post Here
Albania and Kosovo applauded the Trump administration’s military operation against Venezuela’s regime and the ousting of Nicolas Maduro, while other states in the region initially remained silent or called for calm and restraint. Original post Here
By Genc Pollo Tirana, 02 January 2026 – Today’s decision by the European Union to grant “roaming like at home” to Ukraine and Moldova deserves praise. It is a practical citizen-centered step that immediately lowers costs improves connectivity and makes Europe tangible in everyday life. Yet the non inclusion of …
Tirana’s EU accession process is running in top gear – but worryingly, there’s no sign this is being matched with a democratic deepening at home. Original post Here
As Albania enters 2026, the country stands at a political and institutional crossroads shaped decisively by the shocks of 2025. What initially appeared to be a year of electoral routine and managed stability evolved instead into the most serious confrontation between executive power and the justice system since the launch …
The latest Saudi action in Yemen should be understood not as escalation for its own sake, but as part of a broader strategic approach that combines deterrence with diplomacy, aimed at safeguarding regional stability and preserving internationally recognized state authority. Riyadh’s move comes in response to concrete security concerns arising …